In Exchange
by sub-doll
Summary: The war is over, and Severus wants something in exchange for all his work. He knows exactly what he wants. HGSS, be warned: i might throw in another person in pairing . Non HPB compliant, mostly . Hermione's eighteen, but still in school. First Fic.
1. Prolouge

He was dead.

Hermione Granger was curled upon his reading chair, alone, next to a fire that gave off no warmth. She was reading his favorite book How Brew Evil Things Evilly (at least she thought it was). And if she concentrated hard enough she could even smell his distinct cologne (a kind of burning wood smell). A tear slipped down her cheek. _I'll never be able to say even the simplest good morning to him_ ("There is nothing _good _about this morning Miss Granger"), _never be able to touch him_ ("Please take your hand off my person Miss Granger"), _speak to him_("You're excessive prattle is making my ears bleed Miss Granger"). _And the saddest of all, I never got to say I Love You._


	2. Out

She suddenly felt a shiver go down her spine; someone was trying to break through the new wards she had set up around Snape's room. She was up and had her wand in hand so fast she hadn't even noticed doing so (war will do that to a person), approaching the door cautiously she mentally prayed to gods unknown that it was Harry or Ron trying to scare her (and not some stray death eater seeking revenge). She lowered the wards and opened the door with a flick of her wrist, standing slightly to the side as not to give her opponent a full blown target. The soft creak of the door only heightened her awareness, opening to a very familiar, very (supposedly) dead face.

_No…_

"May I ask, Miss Granger, what the bloody hell you are doing in my privet chambers?" his voice a sickly sweet hiss. He drew his imposing figure over her petite frame, making her back up.

"B-b-but…"

"Don't foul your mouth up with such dirty talk Miss Granger, it does not become a young lady such as you self." He pretended to look thoughtful "Well, I guess it does."

Hermione was torn between happiness of him being alive and anger at what he'd said. Or she had actually fallen asleep on the chair and was dreaming this, she frowned, that would suck, even if he was being a right git she didn't care as long as he was alive. She noticed he looked quite annoyed, and became aware that she had been silent for the past five minutes; he reached out and grasped her shoulder, pushing her toward the door. "Miss Granger will you kindly get the _hell_ out of my quarters." she didn't hear him. Hermione was actually being _touched_ by the man she loved, the man she thought was dead not too long ago. All this combined overwhelmed her greatly.

She fainted.

The last thing she heard was a grumbled "bloody fuck" and strong arms encasing her in their warmth.


	3. Hermione Granger

Severus laid Hermione on his bed; he didn't like that at all, he liked his privacy and she was encroaching upon it. But his couch was so hard it felt like sitting on wood, no matter how many softening charms he cast. If that what it felt like just sitting on it, he shuddered at the thought of laying on the thing, despite what people said of him he did have some humanity.

He pulled up a chair next to the bed and waited for Miss Granger to regain consciousness.

The Battle had been tough; Dumbledore and he had been almost shoulder to shoulder casting spells at Voldermort, trying to take the attention off Potter so he could get close enough to cast the final curse. It worked.

To an extent.

Riddle had saw him and motioned for Nagini to kill potter, while he tried to take down the headmaster.

"Two birds-s with one stone, isn't that right S-S-Severus, soon the wizarding world will be short an old wizard and its supposed s-s-savior." The Dark Lord just sealed his own fate. In that moment Severus knew what he had to do.

"_Solaris" _he had shouted_,_ a burst of bright white light came form his wand, the dark lord had shielded his eyes (it was so bright in fact, that no one saw Severus run in front of Potter, taking the bite meant for him) Dumbledore, seeing his chance, stunned Riddle, it wouldn't last long, Riddle had a kind of immunity to such spells. But it was long enough for Potter to get over the shock of his evil potions master saving him (again) and cast the killing curse.

Large cries rose around the battle field, but not of victory, the cries came from Riddle's remaining followers. All on their knees, clutching their forearms, if revealed their arms would show melting skin, leaving an indent on each arm where the dark mark used to be.

Then it was as if all was silent in the world, nothing could be heard, nothing moved, not even the trees. Finally, Dumbledore's magnified voice rose up across the field.

"It is over."

This time the cries were of victory, not only that but joy, happiness, and oddly enough, love. Love for the Riddle free future. But Severus was not aware of all this, right then he was bleeding to death on the cold ground, winter's first snow landing upon him.

And that was how Hermione Granger found him, dying, she held his hand, and started shaking, blinking back tears. The headmaster stood behind her and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"There is nothing you can do for him." she stood, and ran. See, just because _she_ couldn't do anything, didn't mean Poppy couldn't. He apparated with Severus to the hospital wing, taking use of his ability to do so upon the grounds.

So here he was, four days later, in his quarters with an unconscious Miss Granger.

He looked down at her; he had noticed that she was reading his favorite book (not really for academic purposes, just that it was very humorous).

He knew the girl had a crush on him, even knew that she thought she loved him (being excellent at legilimency of course) it had kept him entertained when the war was a strain to think that one-third of the Golden Trio liked ("loved") him, evil git, Greasy Bat extraordinaire of the Dungeons (not to mention the fantasies that he glimpsed in her mind). Now that the girl was silent for once in her life he could appreciate her for more than her mind. She was dressed in muggle clothing, a red woolen sweater and snug fitted jeans, but more shocking than the fact that she possessed curves (great ones in Severus's opinion) was that her hair longer resembled a rat's nest, but flared out on his pillow in loose curls.

His mind went back to the conversation him and Dumbledore had in the infirmary not to long ago.

The headmaster had sat at the end of his bed, his eyes sad when they fell upon his bandaged neck.

"Severus, what will you do now that you are free?" Snape closed his eyes at that word, _free, _yes, he was free.

"I have no idea."

Albus looked thoughtful "Are you still my potions master?" Snape's eyes widened, he never believed that Albus would want him after the war was over, not that he was a bad potions master, quite the opposite in fact (except his attitude of course), but now that there was no need for a double agent, why have him? But the real question was did Severus want to? He thought deeply and found he actually liked teaching; the students who wanted to learn made it enjoyable (an image of Hermione popped in his mind, which he quickly pushed away)

"Yes" he said slowly, gratefully (he really did not want to spend the rest of his life alone at Spinners End). Albus stared at him registering his answer, and then his face softened.

"Severus there is nothing that I can say or do that will pay you back for your years of service and what you almost sacrificed in battle, but I want you to know that if there is something, anything, in my power to give I will gladly give it to you, you have but to ask."

At this Severus was not so shocked, he did deserve something.

And now Severus knew exactly what he wanted.

Hermione Granger.


	4. The Headmaster

Hermione Granger lay in Snape's bed pretending to be unconscious, which she hadn't been for the last ten minutes. She was trying to process the information that had made her incapacitated in the first place and she was doing fairly well, accepting that sev-professor Snape wasn't dead, and that she was now laying in the very bed that she fantasized about (albeit not doing what she imagined doing in such a place).

"Why is it, Miss Granger, that you are conscious, and yet still preside in my bed?"

She tried even harder to keep appearances, trying to breath slower for one.

"Come now Granger, you've been caught, now why don't you open those pretty little saucer-balls and GET THE HELL OUT." He paused "Or is it such a shock to you that your professor owns silk sheets that you just can't seem to get up?"

Oooo she hadn't notice that, it'll be good material for the next fant-

"MISS GRANGER!" It wasn't Snape's deep timbre, but a high pitched squeal, outraged apparently. At this she did get up, so quickly in fact that she fell to the floor with a loud THUMP! The sheets followed her, tangling around her.

She looked up to see Professor McGonagall staring down at her, how her face looked shocked and pinched at the same time she would never know.

Snape looked at her lazily.

"Ah, Minerva, would you please tell me why, when I'm finally released from the infirmary and looking forward to relaxing for the first time in _years_ I find one of your Gryffindor's cozying up in my chambers?"

For a second McGonagall looked flabbergasted, but soon composed herself, back straight, chin up.

"I have no idea why Miss Granger is in your chambers, she's been locked in her room for the past four days and then, this morning we found her gone. I came down here to see if you would kindly offer your help." She stopped a second and glared at him.

"But obviously you have already found her, I will bring her with me, Misers Potter and Weasley have been very worried."

Hermione already had her hand on the door knob by the time they stopped talking and was trying to make a quick and quiet exit, but of course things never go as planned.

"Where are you going Miss Granger?"

Her back hunched and she turned her head, he was staring at her intensely.

"Gryffindor Tower."

"Indeed." He drawled, eyebrow lifting. She nodded and quickly opened the door, sprinting to the Tower.

***

Severus Snape hated wasting time, so when Granger and Minerva left he took off his teaching robes and put on a fresh button down dress shirt, black slacks, and the new pair of dragon hide boots that he'd gotten himself as an early Christmas present.

Although Severus never cared much for his appearance he also didn't want to come off as an old pervy teacher who wanted his twice younger student. He checked himself in the mirror on the way out, teeth (a little crooked, but white and not too terrible), hair (greasiness gone, looked normal), nose (nothing to do about that). All in all he didn't look so bad. He mentally prepared himself for a second and left.

He was going to meet Albus in regards to his 'reward'.

***

Two voices assaulted her ears when she came through the portrait hole.

" 'Mione!"

She was then enveloped in a hug from both sides.

"I'm fine, I'm OK, now shove off." She said playfully. Harry and Ron both smiled warily.

Harry spoke first. "We thought maybe a rouge Death Eater caught you." She sighed.

"There are only two rouge Death Eaters left, and I doubt they are anywhere near here and therefore unable to kidnap me." That didn't placate them enough so she hugged them both.

"Its fine He's dead and we're still alive, nothing could keep me away from you guys."

They had a quiet moment before Ron's stomach rumbling broke it.

"I'm hungry."

They all laughed and headed toward the kitchens

***

"Ah, Severus, come in my boy." Albus waved his hand, motioning him to come in and take a seat. He sat down in a very cushiony chair in front of the desk, waiting for Albus to finish whatever it was he was writing.

He finally put his quill down and spoke, eyes mischievous.

"Have you ever played a crossword before Severus?" God, the old man was turning senile.

"Can't say that I have Headmaster." He tried to keep it blunt, without being rude, he was after all nervous (For once in his life) and wanted to get it over with.

"Hmmm" he said absently, nodding his head.

"I'll give you one before you leave, one should always try everything once."

"Of course Headmaster."

Albus studied him, taking in his clean appearance.

"Is there something wrong Severus you haven't spoken to me so formally since your school days, usually by this point in the conversation you've at least called me 'old man' twice or at least 'senile'?"

Severus decided to be blunt.

"Remember our conversation in the infirmary Albus?" he drawled, smirking. Albus was a little taken aback by that smirk.

"Of course I do, so is there something that you want Severus, a raise in pay, or maybe a new lab?" he asked, guessing, he had no idea what was coming.

He scowled "You know I have no need for pay and would rather not be if you had not been so insistent upon it, and my lab is fine, I have no need for a new one." He paused, deciding to play with him a little bit. "No, What I want is something living."

Albus looked confused "What do you want a cat, dog, mayhap something a little more illegal?"

Severus smirked and lifted his eyebrow. "No, What I want resides in this very castle, and is not an animal" he looked thoughtful for a second "Well, depending if she brushes her hair that day."

It finally dawned on Albus what he wanted; his eyes lost his twinkle and narrowed behind his glasses.

"Who?" he asked quickly.

"I'll give you a hint; she's very bossy and constantly has her head in the books."

"Minerva!" Albus looked outraged.

"No! Hermione Granger." Severus looked sick.

The room was quiet and just a little tense. Albus put his head on his folded hands.

"And what do you plan to do with her?"

Severus smirked and scowled at the same time.

"That does not matter."

Albus took that in and considered the whole thing. Standing up and pacing the back of his desk, he finally came to a decision.

"You will have to be discrete, if you are found out; I cannot help you, nor her. I also want your promise that she will be safe in your hands." At this he stared straight at Severus.

He bowed his head "You have my word as a wizard that no knowingly harm will come to her at my hands." Magic swirled around them, he had invoked a wizard oath, if broken, will not kill, but terribly hurt.

Albus came around and shook his hand.

"It is settled then, the debt wizarding kind has to you is repaid."


End file.
